Russian Federation aluminium giant UC Rusal announced yesterday an international competition to design a concept for a central park in Krasnoyarsk as part of a larger project to refurbish the open spaces of the cities in which they operate.
Rusal’s competition will hand out a total of over US$81,600 in prize money to the top three designers. Picking the winner will be a jury of individuals from the area as well as jurors with expertise in the fields of integrated development, ecology, economics, and urban planning.
“Central Park occupies a special place in the infrastructure of Krasnoyarsk and it was once considered one of the best places in Siberia,” noted Elena Bezdenezhnykh, Vice President for regional policy and interaction with authorities and management of Rusal. “Thanks to ideas from the world’s experts in the field of urban space development and the support from Rusal, we are confident that this place will regain its former popularity, both among Krasnoyarsk residents and visitors of the city.”
Sergey Eremin, mayor of Krasnoyarsk, lauded the firm for taking the step to improve Krasnoyarsk.
“Rusal has helped to change for the better such urban places as Surikov park, Revolution Square and the Historical quarter – all located close to the Central Park. Given this proximity the Central Park itself looks like ‘a leap into the past,’ so its modernization has been a long-lasting dream for every citizen of Krasnoyarsk. After the reconstruction it will be a benchmark for the urban development. I am sincerely grateful for our partners – Rusal and Alexander Uss, governor of the Krasnoyarsk krai, whose support enabled us to start working on the project.”
Rusal has undertaken similar beautification projects in several other cities that host its operations, including Achinsk and Bratsk.
“I am absolutely sure that as a result of this large-scale international competition, one of the most historically rich parks in Siberia will be given a new lease of life,” noted Sergey Georgievsky, General Director of the CENTER strategic development agency and head of the competition’s organizing committee. “The competition will boost the long-term development of not only the park itself, but also the entire city, making it even more enjoyable for the community and attractive to tourists. We hope that the competition will bring together the best international practices in the field of territorial development in Krasnoyarsk.”